Sárospataki Füzetek 13. (2009)
2009 / 1. szám - KONFERENCIA - Petrőczi Éva: Margaret Winthrop, Új-Anglia "Lorántffy Zsuzsannája" Margaret Winthrop, New England's "Lorántffy Zsuzsanna"
Margaret Winthrop, Új-Anglia „Lorántffy Zsuzsannája" Summary Margaret Winthrop, New England’s “Lorántffy Zsuzsanna” My paper deals with the figure of the "Susanna Lorántffy" (figuratively speaking!) of New England, Margaret Winthrop, wife of governor John Winthrop. She was a typical Puritan "grande dame", an absolute helpmeet of her husband. Her life - in many features she can be considered as the "twin" of her world-famous contemporary, the American poetess, Anne Bradstreet - can be easily reconstructed upon the letters of her father-in-law, her husband and also upon the book of Alice Morse Earle. Obedience, faith, intelligence, kindness, benevolence: these are the key-words of her life and public service, in the hard days of the formative years of America, full of spiritual and carnal dangers. Such a period couldn't have been survived by an average female character, just by such an exemplary and excellent one as Margaret. Her figure can also remind us of "the other Margaret", spouse of the great Richard Baxter who - as a solid intelllectual background of his husband's works - played an important role in the history of Puritanism in "old" England. Sárospataki Fűzetek 55
